RIGHT SPEAK: DHS Scrambling to Prepare Ahead of Amnesty Program for Immigrant Spouses as Critics Expect Fraud; Countdown to Amnesty: Days Until Parole-in-Place Application Period Opens

DHS scrambling to prepare ahead of amnesty program for immigrant spouses as critics expect fraud:

The Homeland Security Department is on a crash course to recruit and train people ahead of the Aug. 19 launch of President Biden’s latest deportation amnesty for illegal immigrant spouses married to U.S. citizens.

Two weeks before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is supposed to start accepting applications, the agency hasn’t revealed vital details, such as the cost of application and what sorts of criminal entanglements will be forgiven for the new “parole” program.

The Washington Times has learned that training won’t begin until Aug. 19 for some of the 267 staff positions dedicated to processing the applications, and others won’t be reassigned until a week later.

Mr. Biden announced the program more than six weeks ago. Those on all sides of the immigration debate are surprised that so many holes remain this close to the start date.

“We don’t have clear details yet,” said one activist in Florida whose group plans to operate clinics to help applicants.

One detail is clear: USCIS is creating a “100% virtual” office to handle the applications.

An internal email late last month said the agency was rushing to recruit immigration officers, assistants and supervisors for the new virtual office, known as Waivers and Temporary Status, or WATS.

The email from Connie Nolan, associate director of USCIS service center operations, confirmed that training for the background check unit won’t begin until Aug. 19 — the date the program is supposed to start taking applications. Some positions won’t even be reassigned until a week later, according to the email.

USCIS didn’t respond to repeated inquiries for this report, but Ms. Nolan acknowledged chaotic times at the agency.

“We know there has been a lot of changes in the past couple of years and probably more to come. Change brings opportunities and with it personal growth,” she wrote. --->READ MORE HERE

Countdown to Amnesty: Days until Parole-in-Place Application Period Opens:

Starting on August 19, illegal alien spouses in the United States can start applying for the Biden-Harris Administration’s illegal “parole-in-place” program. President Biden announced the creation of this new amnesty program, officially called Parole-in-Place for Certain Noncitizen Spouses and Stepchildren of U.S. Citizens, back in June of this year.

The “parole-in-place” program is designed to grant amnesty to illegal aliens who have been living in the U.S. for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024, and have a legally valid marriage to a U.S. citizen as of June 17, 2024. By granting illegal alien spouses “parole-in-place, the program will shield illegal aliens from deportation, grant them work authorization and put them on a path to citizenship. The Department of Homeland Security says that the program “is consistent with the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to keep families together.” The Department is already encouraging illegal aliens to prepare for their opportunity to seek amnesty by gathering their documents.

Immigration enforcement advocates have strongly opposed the administration’s new program because parole-in-place is a concept created out of thin air, an abuse of the parole authority set forth in Section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. That provision authorizes the government to permit the entry of aliens into the United States for temporary periods of time, on a case-by-case basis, for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. It is a narrow authority that Congress intended to be used sparingly. It was not intended it be used to grant quasi-legal status to illegal aliens already in the country.